New Jersey Students Wow at West Orange High School Color Guard Competition

By CHRIS HAREWOOD

February 7, 2015 at 5:45 PM

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Credits: David Adelsohn

Credits: David Adelsohn

Credits: David Adelsohn

Credits: David Adelsohn

By CHRIS HAREWOOD

February 7, 2015 at 5:45 PM

Editor's Note: Story was updated with list of winners on Feb. 3 at 6:07 p.m.

WEST ORANGE, NJ - Thirty-one teams competed in the 2015 West Orange High School’s (WOHS) tenth annual Color Guard Show on Saturday, which featured exhibition performances from the West Orange Junior Guard, World Guard, and Percussion Ensemble.

Well over a thousand parents, classmates, and family members packed the WOHS Tarnoff Gymnasium to watch schools from all over New Jersey perform for their townships. WOHS played host and provided snacks and drinks for all in attendance.

The competition lasted throughout the day with a two-hour intermission for people to stretch their legs, eat, and socialize. Before and after these breaks guests watched dozens of performances, in which school teams performed sophisticated and creative dance pieces featuring flags, imitation rifles and fancy costumes.

Creative juices flowed throughout the day with every performance differentiating greatly from the other including Morristown Colorguard’s “Bedtime” performance, in which the team danced in a child’s room setting featuring pillows and a bed; South Plainfield High’s “The Carnival,” which featured circus-style make up and lavish, bizarre costume design; Wayne Hills Millennia Winter Guard’s toy-themed performance, aptly titled “Toy Box Surprise;” and Bayonne High School’s haunting, spider-web themed performance called “Fatal Attraction.”

The West Orange host guards and ensemble put on exhibitions of their own at the end of each half for the crowd. In their first ever performance, the WOHS Junior Varsity “A” Guard performed “The Rose” to the song “Some Say Love,” by Bette Midler, while sporting rose-colored costumes and flags. The JV team is made up of eight grade and high school students.

The WOHS World Guard closed the show out by performing “Find Your Voice” to the song “Read All About It” by Emeli Sande wearing beige and brown attire. The World team is made of high school students who have previous guard experience.

In what was considered to be a season opener for the Mid-Atlantic Indoor Network circuit, WOHS band director Erin Lagatic said there was the “excitement and energy of the color guard competition season in the air.”

“As a hometown team, it is great to always be the season opener,” she said. “Everyone is always excited for West Orange to kick off the start of the competitive season.”

The Word Guard, who won the silver medal at the WGI World Championships, and the junior guard had the support of the school according to Lagatic.

She said, “We have colorguard directors who are the teaching staff, band directors who are the support staff, plus the Music Boosters and the high school administration,” she said. “The staff is highly committed to seeing the kids succeed over the long season.”

Lagatic also said that they are invested in the team’s success for “the long run, not just this season but as a bigger picture over many years.”

In addition, Lagatic highlighted the importance of activities like the color guard play in the development of the students.

“There is so much to be learned from a team activity such as this, and the kids develop much more than just a passion for performance,” she said.

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